The morning sun bathed the academy entrance in golden light as the group gathered at 9:30 sharp. Kael, Darius, Garrick, and Sylphie stood together, chatting idly while they waited. A few minutes later, Aria and her team arrived—composed of one girl, Selena Flamecrest, and two boys, Eryk Stormrider and Leon Stormrider.
Not long after, Orin joined them, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he sighed softly. He knew Aria well, and the smug look on her face meant trouble was coming. She smirked, crossing her arms as she glanced around.
"Where is your Ronan?" she asked, her tone laced with condescension. "It's almost 9:40. Are you sure he won't hold us back?"
Orin exhaled, shaking his head slightly.
Just then, a distant figure sprinted toward them. Ronan, breathless and slightly dishevelled, approached from outside the academy grounds, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Sorry... I'm late," he panted.
Kael raised an eyebrow, arms crossed. "Where have you been?"
Before Ronan could answer, Aria scoffed. "Next time, be on time," she said curtly.
Before the conversation could escalate, an academy teacher arrived, greeting them with a warm smile. "Good morning, everyone." With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a large magical flying ship, which hovered effortlessly above them. "This will be your transport. Be careful on your mission. Later, Mr. Alden and Mr. Alaric will join."
The group wasted no time boarding, the ship rising steadily into the sky as they set course for Eldergrove.
As they settled in, Ronan approached Orin. "Good morning, Orin."
Orin nodded. "Morning."
Orin turned to Ronan and gestured toward his companions and said, "This is Aria, our team captain. That's Selena from the Flamecrest family, and these two are Eryk and Leon from the Stormrider family."
Ronan greeted them with a friendly nod. They returned the gesture, though Aria watched him with thinly veiled scepticism. In Ronan's mind, "So, that's Selena. First, she warned me not to hang out with Elenor, and then two days ago, we got into a little fight at the Hunter's Boutique. I hope that won't cause a problem."
Moments later, Ronan turned to Darius and Garrick. "Did you bring what I asked for?"
Garrick grinned, pulling out a sturdy shield. "Here you go."
Darius followed suit, handing over a well-crafted spear. "And here's mine."
Aria, who had been observing, frowned. "Hey, Kael," she said, her tone sharp. "Are you the captain, or is he?" She gestured toward Ronan with a pointed glare.
Kael, leaning casually against the ship's railing, smirked. "On paper, I'm the captain. But on the field? He's the real leader."
Ronan ignored the exchange and turned to Kael. "Here, take this."
He pulled a folded cape from his storage ring and handed it over. Kael examined it before draping it over his shoulders.
"Try channelling your mana into it," Ronan instructed.
Kael did as he was told, and his eyes widened. "I can control my illusions more effectively!"
Ronan nodded approvingly. "Good. And one more thing—you can make it invisible if you want."
Kael focused his energy, and the cape flickered before vanishing entirely. "Oh, this is cool!" he said, grinning.
Turning to Sylphie, Ronan reached into his storage ring again, producing a silver-coloured ornament. "This is for you."
Sylphie took it, inspecting the intricate design. "Ronan, what is this? It's too big for a ring and too small for a bracelet."
Ronan sighed. "It's a Soul Bond item. Give it a drop of your blood, and it'll reveal its true form."
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Where did you even get this?"
Ronan let out a low growl. "Just do it and stop asking so many questions."
Rolling her eyes, Sylphie pricked her finger, letting a drop of blood fall onto the ornament. Instantly, it reshaped itself into an elegant bracelet adorned with green embroidery and a blood-red crystal. She slipped it on, and it adjusted to fit her wrist perfectly.
"The first function allows you to become invisible," Ronan explained. "No one below Master Tier Three will be able to detect you. But don't get cocky—some perception skills can still see through it."
Curious, Sylphie activated the bracelet. Kael and Aria immediately scanned the area, using their perception skills, but their faces showed nothing but confusion.
"She's... gone?" Aria muttered, unnerved.
"Not just gone," Kael said, frowning. "It's like she doesn't exist."
Ronan continued, "While you're invisible, most monsters won't be able to detect you either. However, anything above Rank-Five monsters might still sense your presence. The bracelet also provides automatic defence against magical and physical attacks, but it has its limit."
Kael's expression darkened slightly. "Wait... is this why you asked for the tailed fox hide and the Chameleon Core?"
Ronan smirked. "Yeah."
Kael exhaled. "And let me guess, you had them custom-made at Iron Ember Forge? That's why you, Darius and Garrick haven't been trying to get new skills—you sold everything, didn't you?"
Ronan shrugged. "Pretty much."
Kael clenched his jaw. "Those flames are for you and Garrick to use, not for sale."
Ronan waved a hand dismissively. "Relax. We can always hunt more later."
Sylphie, meanwhile, was still admiring her new bracelet. "I love it," she said, grinning.
Garrick and Darius, watching from the side, groaned. "That's unfair!" Garrick complained. "You two get all the cool stuff, and we get nothing."
Darius nodded in agreement. "Yeah, this is cheating, Ronan!"
Ronan chuckled. "Don't worry. Once we reach the Master Tier, we'll make sure we get good equipment too."
With the wind rushing past them, the ship continued its rapid journey toward Eldergrove. It would take a full day and night before they reached their destination.
The morning sun cast golden rays upon the dense, towering trees of Eldergrove as Aria, Orin, Selena, Eryk, Leon, Ronan, Kael, Darius, Garrick, and Sylphie descended at the village gates. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and fresh pine, a stark contrast to the sombre expressions on the villagers' faces.
Aria turned to the group. "Let's head to the hospital. The victims attacked by the unknown monster are being treated there."
With measured steps, they walked through the village, the eerie silence pressing against them. When they arrived at the hospital's entrance, the heavy atmosphere only deepened. Just as they stepped inside, a small girl dashed forward and threw her arms around Ronan, clutching him tightly.
For a moment, he was caught off guard, staring down at the child. Then, recognition flickered in his eyes. It was the same girl from the village he had saved before. He recalled how she had once clung to his sleeve, pleading, 'Will you come again?'
Kneeling before her, he gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Why are you here?" he asked softly.
Before she could answer, a woman—her mother—hurried over and pulled her close. "I-I'm so sorry," she stammered. "She—"
Orin furrowed his brows. "Why are you here? Did something happen to the village?"
The woman shook her head. "No, not exactly. But there have been more attacks... This time, travellers have become the target."
A firm yet kind voice interrupted their conversation. "Good morning, Ronan, Orin." A female doctor entered, her sharp gaze sweeping over the group. "I was informed that two teams would be arriving to investigate. Who are the captains?"
"That would be us." Aria and Kael stepped forward.
The doctor gave them a nod. "Then you two, along with Ronan and Orin, follow me. The rest of you, please wait here."
As they turned to leave, the small girl suddenly grabbed Orin's hand, her grip trembling. "I want to see my dad," she whimpered. Her voice cracked with desperation, her eyes pleading.
Orin hesitated, his usual stoic demeanour faltering. He glanced at Ronan, who placed a reassuring hand on the girl's head and ruffled her hair gently. "Your dad needs rest right now," he said, his voice warm yet firm. "We'll talk to him and make sure he's okay. After that, you can see him when he feels a little better."
The girl sniffled but nodded hesitantly. Ronan turned to Sylphie. "Can you take care of her for now? Maybe show her some of your magic?"
Sylphie gave a small smile and knelt beside the girl. "I can make tiny flowers, trees, and even wooden dolls. Would you like to see it?"
The girl's eyes lit up just a little, and after a moment, she let go of Orin's hand, allowing Sylphie to guide her away.
As they walked towards the victims' rooms, the doctor glanced at Ronan. "How is your injury? Absorbing that much mana in one go must have had some side effects."
Ronan exhaled slowly. "I felt pain for a while after using magic, but I'm fine now."
The doctor arched a brow. "Are you sure?"
He gave her a reassuring nod.
She then turned to Orin. "And you?"
"I'm perfectly fine," Orin replied curtly.
Satisfied, the doctor led them into the room where the girl's father rested. He had regained consciousness a few hours ago, but his condition was dire. His face was pale, his body frail, and his left arm… gone.
As soon as he saw Ronan and Orin, he attempted to sit up, but his strength failed him.
"Ronan… Orin…" his voice was hoarse, cracking under the weight of exhaustion. "How have you been? I'm sorry... I cannot even offer you proper courtesy in this state."
Ronan and Orin exchanged glances, their throats tightening. Words felt insufficient in the face of such suffering. Before they could respond, the doctor stepped in, her voice firm yet understanding. "Don't waste your energy on pleasantries. Just tell them what you saw."
The man swallowed hard, his eyes darkening with the memory. "I don't know if I should call it a human or a monster... It had a humanoid form, but its magic felt... off. Like it belonged to a human, yet it wasn't one. And..." he paused, his voice trembling, "It fought as if it was in constant pain. Agitated. Desperate. Our two Master-Tier mages had to hold it off while we escaped."
His gaze flickered to the doctor. "Did you find anything on my clothes?"
She pulled out a piece of cloth with an emblem sketched on it in blood. "We found this on your garments. Is it what you were referring to?"
The moment his eyes landed on the emblem, his face twisted in alarm. "Yes… That monster—It had this symbol burned into its body."
A tense silence filled the room. Ronan and Orin's expressions darkened the moment they saw the emblem. Ronan clenched his fists, his breathing growing heavy. His body trembled slightly—not from fear, but from something far more dangerous.
The doctor opened her mouth, about to warn him. She knew too well that if he unleashed his Killing Intent, the weaker patients in the hospital could be harmed mentally.
But just as quickly as it came, Ronan reined it in, mastering his emotions with terrifying precision. His voice was steady but cold as ice. "Rest now. We'll handle it."
The man exhaled shakily. "Be careful."
As they exited the room, the doctor cast a lingering glance at Ronan, her thoughts unreadable. Just In just a month... he's already mastered such control over his emotions.